Promise This
by Claire O'Donnell
Summary: Set at the start of S2. Ryan and Seth have returned to Newport after their summers away. Summer still can't forgive Seth but she didn't think she would fall for the less likely person at the same time.


Summer Roberts walked to history class as slowly as she could possibly get away with. She hated history class more than any other.

Right now, history was the last thing on her mind.

She entered the classroom reluctantly and looked around. She noticed Ryan Attwood sitting on his own and took the opportunity to at least sit by someone she knew in this boring lesson.

"This seat taken Chino?" She said, putting her hand on her hip.

Ryan looked up and smiled.

"It is now." He motioned for her to sit in the seat.

Summer sat in the seat and got her books out of her bag. She realised Ryan was still looking at her.

"What you looking at Chino?" She asked.

"I am just surprised you are still talking to me after everything that happened over the summer." Ryan said, adverting his eyes away from Summer's glare.

"Oh you mean the summer where you left my best friend for a girl who may or may not have been pregnant with your child? The same summer when your best friend, and my supposed boyfriend, sailed on a boat to God knows where because of you leaving Newport!" Summer said, very quickly.

Ryan laughed slightly.

"That's the one." He said.

Summer sighed. She hated when Ryan didn't give her a proper answer. She wished he would talk just a little bit more.

"Look, what happened between you and Marissa is nothing to do with me and I don't blame you for Cohen just taking off like that. There is no need for hard feelings between us." Summer said.

"Good." Was all Ryan said.

Summer shook her head. Just a few more words wouldn't hurt you she thought to herself.

The teacher started the lesson and Summer flicked her pen through her fingers not really paying much attention. All attention seemed to be on at the moment was why Seth Cohen left her over the summer.

She still, after three months, could not piece any of it together.

Her boyfriend Zach Stevens was beginning to become frustrated with her because of it.

"I'll pair you all up and you can pick a subject to work on for your presentation." The teacher announced.

"Madison Shelly and Danny Johnson, Holly Fisher and Jess Sathers, Ryan Attwood and Summer Roberts…"

Ryan looked over to Summer.

"Good job I am talking to you isn't it?" Summer smiled.

Ryan smiled back.

* * *

><p>Seth Cohen waved Ryan over to him.<p>

"Hey, so have you seen Summer at all today?" Seth asked.

Ryan knew this was all Seth was going to talk about.

"Yeah she sat next to me in history class." Ryan told him.

Seth nodded. "And…"

"She never mentioned you."

"You sat next to her for a whole hour and she didn't say my name even once."

"We have a history project to work on together so you weren't the first thing on her mind."

Seth smiled.

"This is perfect." Seth said, rubbing his hands together.

Ryan stopped walking and raised an eyebrow at Seth.

"You and Summer working together means she will be spending time at ours, which means she will have to see me and have to talk to me." Seth said, still smiling.

"She's already thought of that and she's pretty much demanded she go round hers." Ryan told him.

Seth sighed and flapped his arms about.

"Well then make something up to make her come to ours, Ryan."

Ryan sighed.

"I'll think about it, I gotta get to class." Ryan said, pretty much running away from Seth.

Ryan hadn't seen Seth all summer and when they did talk over the phone while Ryan was in Chino and Seth in Portland, Seth pretty much only talked about Summer.

Now they were both back in Newport, Seth was still talking about Summer. Ryan was starting to become fed up of it all.

He bumped into someone and looked up to see Marissa Cooper standing in front of him.

Ryan swallowed hard. He had never been nervous around Marissa but so much had happened now.

"Hey Ryan, you're back." Marissa smiled.

Ryan nodded.

"But what about Theresa and the baby?"

"It's a long story, but I'm back."

"Well you want to do something tonight and we can talk. We haven't done that in a while."

Ryan was taken back by Marissa desire to be around him after what had happened. Maybe Marissa had grown up over the summer.

He was pleased either way, he had never wanted things to change between them.

"I can't tonight. I got to work on a project with Summer but we can meet for lunch tomorrow." He said.

Marissa smiled.

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

><p>Seth had given Ryan a list of questions to ask Summer and Ryan was determined to ask them if just to get Seth to shut up for five minutes.<p>

Ryan knocked on Summer's door and she opened it.

His breath was taken away when he saw her. She looked beautiful. A way he never seen Summer before.

Ryan shook his head.

"You ready to get cracking on some history?" He said.

Summer sighed. "If I must."

Ryan sat on the floor next to her where she had spread pages and pages of notes down.

He picked a piece of paper up.

"Lots of notes." He said.

"Yes well… when you don't really understand the Spanish Inquisition you take as many notes as possible." Summer said, snatching the paper from his hand but smiling as she did so.

Ryan laughed slightly.

"I suppose Cohen has given you questions to ask me." Summer said, folding her arms over her chest.

Ryan looked at her.

"No"

"That was unconvincing!" Summer said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well you do know Seth as well as I do." Ryan said.

Summer shook her head. "I thought I did."

A tear escaped from her eye and she quickly wiped it away but Ryan had noticed.

"You OK?" He asked.

"Do you really think I am OK?" Summer said, her voice breaking. "He just left me a note and sailed away. How am I supposed to feel?"

Ryan looked at the floor.

"It was my fault. I shouldn't have gone to Chino."

"No, it was not your fault. You did the right thing. Cohen did the coward thing. Well you can tell him from me that I am done with him and he can sail away now as much as he wants. I hate him for how he made me feel over the last three months. I won't forgive him for that." She wiped away more tears.

Ryan nodded.

"Oh say something Ryan! Use words, just for once!" Summer said, getting more frustrated with Ryan's lack of words.

"I'm sorry." He said.

Summer laughed slightly and pursed her lips together.

"God you're frustrating" She said.

"Seth loves you."

Summer looked at him. "It's too late."

Ryan nodded yet again.

"Three word sentences are annoying aren't they?" Summer said.

"Well if we're gonna be spending more time together, I'll see if I can do four word ones just for you." Ryan smiled.

Summer's heart skipped a little bit at the thought of spending more time with Ryan, which she thought was weird.

She brushed it aside though.

* * *

><p>Ryan left Summer's two hours later after doing no history work what so ever.<p>

They had just talked about everything.

It had changed Ryan's perception of Summer greatly. He realised she was just this stonehearted popular girl. She had real feelings and Seth had really hurt them.

He realised she was more intelligent than she let on and that he really made her laugh.

He felt different around her than he had ever done around Marissa. And she had looked beautiful even if she just had her hair tied back and little make up on.

Ryan shook his head.

He did not have feelings like that for Summer. It was just plain wrong.

Summer watched Ryan drive off, unable to describe how she felt right now.

For the first time in what seem like forever she wasn't thinking of Seth.

She was thinking of Ryan.


End file.
